6 Technologies Discontinued That You Shouldn't Be Using
Continuing to use discontinued technologies can leave you and your business behind and extremely attractive to cybercriminals.
Important reasons to keep your technology updated to a supported version are:
Older systems are clunky and get in the way of employee productivity. If you continue to use older systems it can lead to the loss of good team members due to frustration.
Some 49% of surveyed workers have said that they would consider leaving their jobs due to poor technology and the frustrations that come along with it.
Below is a list of outdated technology tools that you should replace as soon as possible. Are any of these still in use on your home computer or within your business?
Long ago Internet Explorer (IE) was the number one browser in the world. But, over time, Google Chrome and other browsers edged it out. Including its replacement, Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft began phasing out IE when it introduced Microsoft Edge in 2015. In recent years, fewer applications have been supporting use in IE. The browser lost all support from June 15, 2022.
Tons of websites used Adobe Flash in the early 2000s. But now there are other tools that can do the animations and other neat things Flash could do. This made the tool obsolete, and Adobe ended it.
The Adobe Flash Player lost all support and security updates, as of January 1, 2021. Do you still have this lingering on any of your computers? If so, you should uninstall the browser plugin and any Flash software.
Windows 7 an incrediably popular operating system, but it’s now gone the way of the dinosaur. Replacements, Windows 10 and Windows 11 are now in widespread use. The Windows 7 OS lost support on January 14, 2020.
While it may still technically run, it is incrediably vulnerable to being hacked. Microsoft Windows OS is also a high-value target for hackers. So make no mistake they are out there looking for systems still running this obsolete version of Windows.
Because of the cost of iMacs and MacBooks, they tend to hang around a lot longer. However once these devices get to a certain point, updates no longer work. This leaves the hardware stuck on an older and non-supported macOS version.
If you are running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, then your OS is no longer supported by Apple, and you need to upgrade.
If your business uses Oracle databases, then you may want to check your current version. If you are running the Oracle 18C Database, then you are vulnerable. Breaches can easily happen due to unpatched system vulnerabilities.
The Oracle 18C Database lost all support in June of 2021. If you have upgraded, then you’ll want to keep an eye out for another upcoming end-of-support date. Both Oracle 19C and 21C will lose premiere support in April of 2024.
Another hugely popular database tool is Microsoft’s SQL. If you are using SQL Server 2014, then mainstream support has already ended. In July of 2024, all support, including security updates will stop.
So there is a little more time to upgrade before you’re in danger of not getting security patches. But it is better to upgrade sooner rather than later. This leaves plenty of time for testing and verification of the upgrade, not to mention increased delays in recieving orders and price increases due to the shortage of supply.
Upgrades can be seen as a unecessary risk to take, especially if everything has been running great. You may be concerned that a migration or upgrade will cause issues. We can help you upgrade your technology smoothly and do thorough testing afterward. Schedule a technology review today.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.
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